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A CIRCUS TROUPER 


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By 

KURT 

WIESE 


By 

EDITH J. CRAINE 











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KI'KI 


A CIRCUS TROUPER 


1 By 

EDITH JANICE CRAINE 

>\ 


‘Pictures by 
KURT WIESE 


JUNIOR PRESS BOOKS 

ALBERTXWH1TMAN 

fy 4 co 

CHICAGO 
1937 


COPYRIGHT, 1937, BY ALBERT WHITMAN & COMPANY 






LITHOGRAPHED IN THE U. S. A, 




SEP 22 1937 

§)CIA 1 09 541 i 

(L (V - 





I 

A CIRCUS IN TOWN 


K I-KI was lost! 

Ki-Ki did not know that he was lost. 
The little dog did know that things all 
about him were strange. There was not one familiar 
pair of feet, not one familiar sniff, not one familiar 



Ki-Ki knew that he was tired. He was so tired 
that he could hardly keep his chin up. So tired there 
was hardly a wag left in his wee tail. So tired that 
he straddled his legs wide apart to keep them from 
doubling under him. The tiredness came from run¬ 
ning and running, here and there, from one place to 
another, in search of something he knew, something 
familiar. He braced himself against a railing and 
blinked bravely to keep his eyes open. 

Suddenly, an enormous wagon rumbled past and 
something inside roared furiously as though very 
angry. It was a fearful sound. 







Suddenly, an enormous wagon rumbled past 



The little dog was so frightened that he forgot 
his weariness. He did not take an instant to look 
where he was going. But he jumped as high and 
as far as he could, and he landed on the cushioned 
seat of a basket wagon. 

With a faint yap, Ki-Ki rolled himself into a tight 
ball and snuggled down. He tucked his nose under 
his forepaws, and closed his eyes. Right away he 
went fast asleep, without knowing where he was, 
or what had given him such a fright. 

While he slept, Ki-Ki dreamed of familiar things 
and his tiny body quivered happily. He slept and 
slept and slept. He was awakened by the sound of 
laughter. It was the sort of laughter that just pops 
right out of people when there is a pleased, very 
kindly feeling deep inside them. It comes when 
something makes them feel so good they have to 
smile out loud. 

That laugh took away every speck of Ki-Ki’s 
tiredness. With a gay little spring he was on his 
feet. He stood straight and firm now, and he held 
his head up. 

Just ahead, the little dog saw that a great pair 
of gates was standing wide open, and that he was 


.Ml** 



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He was pushing the wagon 



going forward in a basket wagon. The wagon had 
shafts at the back, and a spotted pony was harnessed 
between the shafts, with his head facing the wagon. 
He was pushing the wagon. A small boy, under a 
very big hat, was astride the back of the pony, and 
the jolliest clown was driving. 

“It's the clown!" 

“He said that he would come!” 

“The circus! Oh! Oh! Oh!" 

“The clown and his little boy!" 

“See the pony. Ha-ha-ha! He's pushing the 
wagon!" 

“Oh, look!" 

“Elephants, with royal covers!" 

“I hear bears!" 

“There are bears. Brown ones. And look, a big 
white one!" 

“Here they come!" 

“Real tigers, and real lions!” 

“Wild ones!" 

“Wild as anything!" 

There were so many shouts from all sides that 
the noise became a great roar that rolled right into 
the air. 


[10] 



“Real tigers, and real lions! 















































































Ki-Ki did not know that those shouts came from 
boys and girls of a hospital. There were boys and 
girls, big ones and little ones, who had to be in chairs, 
or on couches, or had to hold themselves up with 
crutches until doctors and nurses could make their 
bodies well and strong. 

But, Ki-Ki could tell that they were very, very 
happy, so he lifted himself right up in plain sight, 
and barked as hard as he could. To be sure, it wasn’t 
very loud barking. Only those who were nearby 
could hear him at all, but he did not mind that. 
A big, kindly hand kept him from jumping under 
the feet of the elephant, or into a cage and down 
the throat of a lion. The lion was yawning at the 
moment. 

[ 12 ] 


“Hello, Trouper! Want to help with the show?” 
said the clown, as he lifted the little dog up into his 
arms. 

Ki-Ki did not answer, but his red tongue went 
out, swift as lightning, in a wide lick on the clown's 
face. The lick nearly took the clown's paint off. 

“There, there. All right, it's settled, but you must 
not spoil my looks,” laughed the clown. He tucked 
Ki-Ki under his arm where everyone could see the 
dog and the pair led the great circus parade around 
the courtyard. 



Everywhere boys and girls were watching eagerly. 
Some were on a platform so low they could reach out 
and touch the animals, or talk to the performers. 
Others were on balconies, and they leaned over. 
There were three rows of those balconies. 

Besides the children, there were grown-ups. They 
all wore smiles that went from ear to ear. Why, there 
were even twitches and twinkles about the lips and 
eyes of the most serious-looking doctors. 

Around and around went the parade, so that 
everybody could see every single thing. The ele¬ 
phants poked out their long trunks for peanuts. The 
lions roared their fiercest, as they balanced on huge 
balls. Cowboys, on plunging, bucking broncos, 
whooped and threw their big hats into the air. Their 
long lariats opened into wide loops with a delightful 
swish, then poised and dropped. One caught the 
clown just as he was alighting from his wagon. 




One caught the clown just as he was alighting 



“What do you mean, sir?” The clown pretended 
to be very angry. 

“Sorry! So sorry, sir. You see, my rope slipped,” 
said the cowboy very politely. 

“I do not see! It is disgraceful,” answered the 
clown. He had the worst time getting rid of that 
lariat. It tangled first in one place, then another. 

The clown’s little boy tried to help. Ki-Ki tried to 
help and was tossed over and over. A little lame girl 
with a crutch tried to help, and nearly got caught. 
It was all so funny that the hospital children laughed 
and laughed until their sides ached. 

The doctors and nurses laughed until their sides 
ached. 

“Ladies and gentlemen,” someone shouted. 
“Attention!” 

“It is time for ice cream,” roared someone else. 

“Hurrah!” 

“Hurrah for the circus!” 

“Hurrah for the clown!” 

“We thank you,” the clown waved his hat and 
bowed very low. 

“We thank you for giving us such a good time,” 
called the children. 



“Ladies and gentlemen/’ said the clown. “I want 
to return this lovely little dog.” He held Ki-Ki up, 
but no one seemed to understand. "I guess he be¬ 
longs to one of you boys or girls. When I first saw 
him, I thought he was a brown, woolly muff on legs. 
He is so little, he surely could get lost in my pocket,” 
The clown balanced Ki-Ki on the palm of his hand. 


[ 17] 












"Hurrah for the little dog,” shouted a girl with a 
crutch. 

"Who owns him?” 

"He does not belong to us—” 

"He doesn’t belong to us—” 

Ki-Ki did not belong to any boy or girl there. 

"Then, he must belong to a doctor or a nurse,” said 
the clown. 

"Not to us,” said the nurses. 

"Nor to us,” said the doctors. 

"Land of Liberty! Where, in the name of curly 
lollipops did you come from, Trouper?” said the 
clown. He was puzzled as he could be. 






Ki'Ki did not 


belong to 


any 


boy or girl there 










“Oh, Dad, I saw something jump into the wagon 
when we hitched up this afternoon,” said the clown's 
little boy. 

“Was it this fellow?” 

“I was going to get some water for the pony, and 
did not stop to look. But, maybe it was.” 

“My word, Trouper. Did you run away?” 

“Perhaps he is lost,” said a nurse. 

“He looks like a thoroughbred toy ‘Pom’ to me,” 
said one of the doctors. 

“We must watch the newspapers and find out who 
lost you,” the clown told Ki-Ki. 

The tiny dog snuggled close on the clown’s arm, 
his tail wagging as hard as it could wag, as if to say 
that he did not feel lost a bit, and that he was quite 
content to be a trouper forever and ever. 




c 


II 

THE CIRCUS IN THE COUNTRY 
(UPID! Cupid! Cupid!" The clown’s little 
boy called three times. The little boy was 
named Peter Webber. He was stretched out 
on his stomach on the floor, but his heels were in 
the air, his chin resting on one palm, and his other 
hand held a newspaper. He was reading about dogs 
in the Lost and Found column. 

A few feet away from Peter, Ki-Ki was lapping 
water out of a shiny new pan, which was all his 
own. He knew very well that his name was Ki-Ki, 
but he couldn’t tell that to Peter. Of course, he 
couldn’t tell anyone. After all, what did it matter? 
He would jump and frisk when they called him 
Trouper. 

[21 ] 





“What do you find in the newspaper, Peter?" the 
clown asked. 

“Pom-er-an-ian—” 

“Pomeranian?" 

“Yes, sir. The newspaper says that the dog 
answers to the name of Cupid," Peter read slowly. 

“This pup does not answer to that name. What 
else does the newspaper say, son?" 

“Two years old—" 

“This chap isn't more than a year old. Any more 
lost dogs?" 

“Yes, Dad. Listen to these. Lost, a brindle bull 
pup - —" 

“That does not fit." 

“Lost, a small brown terrier," Peter read aloud. 

“We did not find a terrier." 

“A black Scottie. That's all." Peter folded the 
newspaper, and Ki-Ki was sure it was time for a 
romp. 

“We must keep watching," said the clown. “After 
a while, we shall find out who owns him." 

[ 22 ] 




"Lost, a small brown terrier,” Peter read aloud 


The clown’s name was John Webber and he had 
deep lines in the corners of his eyes. These lines 
made his face look as if he were always ready for a 
good laugh. 

“I wonder how the little dog got away from his 
master,” said Mrs. Webber. 

“Perhaps he jumped out of an automobile when 
no one was looking,” her husband answered. 

“Maybe his owner thought he was asleep among 
the cushions,” suggested Peter. 

“He is so little,” said Mrs. Webber. “That might 
have happened.” 

“And we must be careful he does not do it again,” 
Peter declared. “I am going to keep watch over you, 
little fellow.” Peter caught the dog in his arms and 
held him close. 

A whole week had passed since Ki-Ki had been 
found on the front seat of the circus wagon, and he 
had helped the clown give the crippled children at 
the hospital so much fun. 

Now, it was the very last night the circus would 
be in town. So the clown and his family were in 
their own dressing room packing boxes and bags for 
a journey. 



The clown and his family were in their own dressing room 



Outside, in the great arena of Madison Square 
Garden, men and women were shouting orders and 
directions. High poles were lowered, ladders folded, 
long ropes coiled, and flags were piled carefully. 

“Will you be ready soon, Mr. Webber?" Someone 
gave a thundering knock on the door and Ki-Ki 
barked. 

“All set,” the clown answered. “Come in.” 

The door was thrown open and Mr. Lawrence, 
who owned the circus, came in. He glanced at Peter. 

“Want to ride the elephant, Peter?” 

“Peter had better ride in the car with us,” said 
Mrs. Webber. 

“Besides, I want to take care of the dog,” said 
Peter. 





Men and women were shouting orders and directions 



“Hang him on your father's watch chain," Mr. 
Lawrence laughed, “or keep him on a sheet of fly 
paper. I’ll be trotting along. Good night." 

“Good night,” answered Peter and his father. 

Peter heard a clanking of heavy chains and knew 
that the wide doors were being opened. In another 
moment, there came the sound of trucks rumbling 
into the street. It made another parade, really, only 
this time the huge animal cages were covered. But, 
they were not covered so tightly that growls could 
not escape. 

Presently the clown and his family were in their 
own automobile. Because it was warm, the top was 
lowered. It was after midnight and the city streets 
were very quiet. 

There was hardly a cloud in the sky. But, there 
were stars and stars and stars. Little ones and big 
ones, blinking as if every one of them were curious 
to see what was happening. 

“It seems to me," said Peter, “the stars are looking 
at us.” 

“I believe they are, dear," his mother answered. 

“Oh, there is a shooting star. Dad, look!" Peter 
sat up straight and called excitedly. 


[ 28 ] 



“That seems slow for a shooting star, dear,” said 
Mrs. Webber. 

“It isn't a shooting star, son.” added his father. 

“Oh, that's right,” Peter chuckled. “It’s an air¬ 
plane. That red tail light, so high up, did fool me.” 

Peter leaned back so that he could watch the course 
of the airplane. Soon its light was bigger and it 
circled low. The boy in the moving caravan made 
out the hum of the motor. The sound died away. 
The light grew fainter and fainter until it was quite 
lost in the Milky Way. 


[ 29 ] 




Mr. Webber was driving swiftly along one of the 
side streets, but soon he had to stop short. Perhaps 
the noise of the brakes disturbed the lions. Anyway 
they began to roar. When the lions roared, the tigers 
snarled, the horses stamped, and the dogs barked. 
There was such a great noise that echoes started ring¬ 
ing in the city street. 

But Peter did not hear a sound. His head slipped 
onto his mother’s shoulder. He did not even know 
that she drew a light robe close about him, and over 
the little dog that had adopted the family. 


[ 30 ] 





When the lions roared, the tigers snarled 



When Peter awakened, the caravan was not mov¬ 
ing. He was in his pajamas, snug in his own cot, 
where his mother had tucked him gently, hours 
before. The long caravan had come to a halt, and 
the cot was in the Webber’s own tent. From outside 
came familiar sounds. They were sounds that the 
little boy knew very well were made by men putting 
things into shape for the opening of the circus. 

There were smells too, very pleasant ones. One was 
the sweet fragrance from a meadow where the hay 
had just been cut. Another fragrance came from the 
campfire breakfasts. These were enough to make 
any boy hurry out of bed and into his clothes. 

Peter found that his mother and father were wait¬ 
ing breakfast for him. Ki-Ki was waiting too, but 
he did not mind because he had eaten a biscuit. 

“Good morning, Mother and Dad,’’ said Peter. 

“Good morning,’’ they answered. 

“Hungry, dear?" asked his mother. 

“Hollow as a bass drum," he said. 

“Well, pitch in," invited his father. 

The boy did not need to be urged. He had nearly 
finished his breakfast when something popped into 
his head. 


[ 32 ] 



“Dad, this is the country, isn't it?" 

“It certainly is." 

“You and Mother promised that when we were 
in the country, I might ride the big elephant, Queen 
Bess, some afternoon." 

“So we did. Are your lessons finished?" 

“They are, Dad, every single lesson." 

“Very well. I see no reason why you should not 
ride Queen Bess this afternoon, if Mr. Lawrence does 
not object. If he says that it is safe, you may." 

“Thanks, Dad. I’ll find out." Peter had finished 
his breakfast, so he gave them both a good hug. 
Then he hurried out to find Mr. Lawrence. 

[33 ] 



Things were coming along pretty well. The 
enormous tent was in place. Ropes and braces were 
being made fast on the outside. Small tents were 
going up for the side shows. Many-colored flags and 
streamers, that Peter had seen being packed the night 
before, were now waving gaily in the breeze. In the 
sky, not a cloud could be seen. The sun was beam¬ 
ing down on the circus, and crowds of people were 
gathering to enjoy the fun. 

“You will have to stay inside, Trouper," Peter ex¬ 
plained as they hurried along, but the little dog only 
frisked. Soon the small boy found Mr. Lawrence, 
who said that it would be quite all right for him to 
ride Queen Bess that afternoon. So Peter raced back 
to the family tent to tell his mother. 


[ 34 ] 





The enormous tent was in place 


















Til get you ready, dear,” Mrs. Webber said as she 
set to work, adding: ‘you will be very careful, son.” 

“Of course, Mother. Will you watch?” 

“I can watch the start, at least,” she told him. 

“Where's my elephant boy?" Mr. Lawrence 
shouted a bit later. 

“Right here. All ready,” Peter called. He wore 
red sandals with a high turban to match, and brown 
tights. 

“Run along,” urged his mother. 

“Be a good fellow, Trouper,” the boy said, as he 
fastened the leash to the leg of the cot. “I’ll come 
for you soon.” He raced off to his place in the pa¬ 
rade, leaving Ki-Ki looking dreadfully disappointed. 
The little dog tugged at the leash and barked woe¬ 
fully. 

“Speed up there,” roared the elephant-man. 

The elephant’s trunk coiled gently about Peter’s 
waist. 

“Going up!” Mr. Lawrence laughed as he caught 
Peter’s hand to steady him. 

“Whew!” said Peter as he took his place between 
the elephant’s great ears. 

“Forward—march!” 



Queen Bess moved forward majestically and Peter 
was so happy that he could hardly contain himself. 
He wished that he could stand on his head, but that 
would surely spoil the wonderful turban. 

Inside the huge tent, the band was playing such 
lively music that it made everyone quite gay. 

The parade formed as it did for the children at 
the hospital, with the clown in his funny wagon, 
pushed by the spotted pony. Only this time, there 
was no small boy astride the pony’s back. 


[ 37 ] 








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Then came Queen Bess with Peter Webber seated 
cross-legged on her broad head. There were more 
elephants, followed by cages of wild animals, roar¬ 
ing and snarling furiously. 

Through the performers' entrance went the clown, 
straight to the center ring, under the gay banners and 
swinging festoons. From all sides of the arena arose 
a rousing cheer of welcome. Boys and girls, big and 
little; men and women, large and small, clapped and 
shouted at the top of their voices. Around the center 
ring went the grand parade. 

Suddenly, it seemed to Peter, that he heard a dif¬ 
ferent sort of sound. As soon as he could, he looked 
around to see what it was. Peter was so startled 
that he forgot how high he was sitting. But the 
man behind him caught hold of his arm. 



“Steady, big boy," said Mr. Lawrence. 

“Yes, sir.” Peter's teeth chattered. “O-o—oh, 
Trouper!” 

The small dog, his leash dragging, was dashing 
headlong into the center ring. Heedless of swinging 
tight-rope tackle, tramping hoofs, and busy per¬ 
formers, he leaped on and on. Two men raced to his 
rescue and tried to toss him to safety, but the small 
dog slipped from their hands. 

Ki-Ki landed on his side and rolled and tumbled 
before he regained his feet. With an impudent little 
yap, he started again. 

“Hurrah for that dog!” 

The audience thought it a part of the show, and 
cheered lustily. 

“Good boy!” 



“Go to it, Old Timer!" 

One end of the leash caught the end of a pole, but 
held only an instant, then Ki-Ki pulled himself free. 

“Woof! Woof!" He headed straight for the parade. 

“He’ll be trampled. He’ll be hurt,” Peter choked. 

By that time, Peter could not see the dog. Bravely 
he blinked back tears that welled in his eyes, and 
gulped down a great lump that rose in his throat 
He was sure that Queen Bess would crush the tiny 
dog. The caravan kept moving steadily, then Peter 
felt the elephant sway slightly. Her long trunk was 
swinging from side to side. 

Then, just as she had lifted Peter up to his place 
on her head, so Queen Bess picked up Ki-Ki. 






The caravan \ept moving steadily 




"Oh, Trouper, Trouper!’ Peter choked. He could 
hardly believe his eyes. He leaned forward to catch 
his pet, but Queen Bess had another idea. She waved 
the small dog back and forth so that everyone could 
see him. Then she set him down on the broad back 
of the spotted pony right in front of her. How every¬ 
one laughed! 

Of course Ki-Ki had no idea what it was all about, 
but he understood merry laughs, chuckles, and ha- 
ha’s. He gave his head a funny little shake, then 
stood on his hind feet, his forefeet waving, as if he 
were greeting the cheering crowd. 

"Good Queen Bess!’’ 

"Cunning pup!" 

More cheers and shouts. The shouts were so thun¬ 
derous that they nearly brought down the tent poles. 

"Cheers for the pup! Cheers for the elephant!" 

That is how a little lost dog became a really-for- 
real trouper. 




Ill 

KI-KI BECOMES A REGULAR TROUPER 


“TT TOW about adding this toy Pom to your 
act, Mr. Webber?” asked Mr. Lawrence, as 
he came into the Webbers’ tent after the 
performance. 

Ki-Ki was snuggled contentedly in Peter's arms, 
but he looked up now, as if he knew perfectly well 
they were talking about him. 

“I never saw an audience more pleased with any¬ 
thing,” said Mrs. Webber, with a smile. 

“The dog does not belong to us, Mr. Lawrence,” 
the clown replied. “If he did, I’d do it in a minute. 
He's a great fellow.” 


[ 45 ] 



“He is clever. It is queer that his owner has never 
showed up," answered Mr. Lawrence. 

“We put advertisements in newspapers, and I read 
the Lost and Found column," said Peter. “But, it 
didn't help find the owner." 

“I can’t see any harm in using him," said Mr. 
Lawrence. 

“The little dog might not do it again," said the 
clown. 

“True," Mr. Lawrence answered. “But suppose 
you try. Tie him, Peter, as you did today, and if he 
doesn't break away, I’ll get one of the boys to call 
him." 

“But, suppose Queen Bess does not pick him up," 
objected Peter. 








■mm 


WMBsm C 


“The little dog might not do it again,” said the clown 




















“Don’t worry about the elephant,” chuckled Mr. 
Lawrence. “If he gets close, she’ll pick him up, just 
as she did this afternoon.” 

“He's such a little dog, Mr. Lawrence,” said Peter. 
“He might get hurt if he tried it again.” 

“We'll do our best to prevent that, lad. There were 
two chaps in the ring today who tried to catch him. 
He surely gave them a great run. I could not help 
laughing when the Pom dodged them both. Then, 
the little rascal barked at them both as if he were 
as big as a lion.” Mr. Lawrence patted the dog's 
head. 

“If only he doesn’t get hurt,” said Peter. 

“I’ll have an extra man in the ring to make sure 
that he doesn’t,” Mr. Lawrence promised. 

“Suppose we put Trouper’s act on tomorrow after¬ 
noon. That is the time there are more children,” sug¬ 
gested the clown. 

“How the children did cheer him today!” Mrs. 
Webber chuckled. 

“If you do as well tomorrow as you did today, 
Trouper,” and Mr. Lawrence rubbed the dog’s brown 
ears, “you’ll have to have your picture taken.” 

“Woof! Woof!” 


[ 48 ] 



“That sounds to me as if you like the idea,” 
laughed the clown. 

“Shall I put a ribbon on him, or make him a fancy 
collar?” Mrs. Webber wanted to know. 

“He might get tangled in it,” said Peter quickly. 

“I like him best as he is,” said the clown. 

“So do I,” agreed Mr. Lawrence. “We'll try the act 
tomorrow afternoon. I am sure it is going over big. 
Thanks. So long, folks, and you too, you brown 
rascal.” Mr. Lawrence gave Ki-Ki a kindly poke, 
and left the tent. 

“Woof!” That was all the small dog had to say, 
but he did it in his very best style. 

Peter was glad about the plan because it meant 
that he could be the elephant boy again. 

[49 ] 


“Son, any unfinished lessons?” the clown wanted 
to know. 

“Only my arithmetic, Dad. I'll get it right away,” 
the boy promised, and he handed Ki-Ki to his 
mother. 

Peter took out his arithmetic lesson but it was 
hard to think of figures because thoughts of tomor¬ 
row would pop up. He scowled furiously at his 
pencil, and scowled furiously at the paper. Not a 
word did he say as he worked. At last he handed a 
neat sheet to his father. 

“Looks very good,” said the clown. He examined 
the problems. 

“Any mistakes, Dad?” Peter asked anxiously. 





They had a jolly romp in the broad meadow 


“Not a mistake, son,” his father smiled. “Now, 
get out into this fine country air, and play.” 

“Yes, sir.” 

Peter took the small dog and they had a jolly 
romp in the broad meadow beyond the circus tents, 
until Mrs. Webber called them to have their supper. 

A bit later, good nights were said, and Peter curled 
up on his own cot, with Ki-Ki close by apparently 
asleep. The small dog looked exactly like a tight ball 
of fur, but twice he peeked out with one eye. 

Morning came at last, and Peter could hardly wait 
for the afternoon to come. But the hours finally 
passed, and in the big tent, a great crowd was gather¬ 
ing as fast as it could. No one wanted to miss a single 
part of the show. Some had heard of the little dog 
who rode the spotted pony, and now they talked 
about him eagerly, while they waited for the open¬ 
ing. 

Then, all was ready. The clown was in his funny 
make-up. He took his place in his funny wagon, 
with the pony hitched in facing the wagon. Behind 
stood Queen Bess, with Peter seated proudly between 
her ears, and Mr. Lawrence right behind, with a long 
lance. 


“All set. Let’s go!” 

The band struck up its liveliest music and the 
spotted pony pushed the wagon. Once inside the 
tent they were greeted with rousing cheers. Then 
came Queen Bess. Peter could hardly keep his mind 
on his own part, because he was thinking of the little 
dog. He wondered if Trouper would come racing in 
as before. Would he be all right? 

“I told you. There's the dog!” 

“There he is. See him! Oh!” 

Peter glanced around anxiously. Sure enough, the 
small dog, his leash dragging, came tearing in. What 
a time the men in the ring had trying to catch him! 
Ki-Ki slipped through their fingers as if he were 
greased. Away he went. Once he barked impudently, 
then ran on toward the parade as fast as his tiny 
body could move. 

“Oh! Oh!” Peter could not hold back the cry. 

The elephant’s long trunk moved from side to 
side, then came up slowly, holding the Pom safely. 
Amid the joyous cheers of the crowd, Ki-Ki was put 
down on the broad back of the spotted pony. Again 
he stood on his hind feet, his forefeet beating the air. 

“Good fellow!” roared the crowd. 



So Ki'Ki did his part every afternoon 



“It's great!" Mr. Lawrence laughed heartily. 

“He is cunning,” Peter nodded. “Suppose he was 
a circus dog before?” 

“I wondered about that too, Peter, but it seems to 
me that an owner would have shown up long ago, 
if he were.” 

After that they did not talk any more and the per¬ 
formance went on with all its jolly fun. There were 
deep, rumbling chuckles, chortles, and roaring ha- 
ha's from all sides. Hands must have hurt from so 
much clapping for the clown, for Queen Bess, the 
spotted pony, and the tiny brown dog. 

So, after that performance, Ki-Ki did his part 
every afternoon, and became a really-for-real trouper. 
Everyone knew that he enjoyed himself, for his tiny 
brown eyes would sparkle with fun, and he never 
minded a bit when Peter fastened his string to the 
leg of the cot. 



KI-KI IS A HERO 


HE circus traveled on and on. Often the tents 



were pitched near small villages, and some 


times in the big open meadows of the country. 
A few times they played in huge buildings in big 
cities. But, wherever they played, an eager crowd 
gathered. 

One night, after the performance, it was so warm 
that the circus folk put their cots out-of-doors, or 
spread blankets on the ground to sleep under the 
stars. The clown found a place for his family where 
there was a little breeze, and Peter, on his own cot, 
drifted off to dreamland with the small dog under 
his arm. 






Ki-Ki slept as soundly as anyone. In fact, he 
snored a bit. He had a funny little snore, more like 
a cat’s purr than anything else. After a while, he 
rolled over on his back and snored louder than ever. 
That waked him up; but he went back to sleep for 
a whole hour. Then his eyes popped open again and 
he started to snuggle closer to Peter. He half sat up 
and sniffed. He sniffed again. The air was queer. 
It was choky. 

“Woof! Woof!” Ki-Ki barked. No one paid any 
attention to him. Everyone was sound asleep. 
“Woof! Woof! Woof!’’ Peter did not wake, but he 
drew his pet closer. “Woof! Woof!” 

“What’s the matter?” said Peter drowsily. “Go to 
sleep, old fellow.” The boy was off to dreamland 
again. 

“Woof! Woof! Woof!” This time Ki-Ki barked 
as hard as he could and scratched at Peter’s pajama 
jacket. 

“Keep still! Don’t,” said Peter. 

“Woof! Woof! Woof!” Ki-Ki insisted. 

“Trouper, what is the matter with you?” Peter 
sat up and drew a long breath. “Come—” 

“Better keep that dog quiet,” someone grumbled. 


[ 57 ] 


“You never acted so—” Then Peter noticed some¬ 
thing queer. He sniffed hard and sat up very 
straight. 

“Keep still, over there." 

“Dad! Dad!" Peter called. 

“What is it, son?" The clown came running. 

“I smell something queer. Trouper waked me—" 

“You smell something queer?" The clown drew 
a deep breath. “Whew! Smells like smoke. Get your 
clothes on, Peter. Be sure to put on your shoes. Ill 
find out what is wrong." 

Mr. Webber hurried off. Peter did not lose an 
instant doing what his father had told him to do. 
He slipped his knickers over his pajamas, then hur¬ 
ried to his mother. She was wide awake and nearly 
dressed. 

“Do not be afraid, dear," she said very quietly. 

“I'm not," Peter answered. 

“I think there is a fire nearby. Some men are sleep¬ 
ing over there. Better wake them. And, Peter, be 
very very careful. If you should do such a thing 
as shout ‘fire' it would startle everyone who heard 
you, and some would surely get hurt." 

“Yes, Mother. I'll be careful." He left Ki-Ki with 


[ 58 ] 



“It’s time to get up,” Peter answered 





her and made his way to the nearest cots. By that 
time tiny flames were licking swiftly through the 
grass a short distance from the tents. The boy shook 
the nearest man. 

“What’s up?" the man wanted to know. 

“It’s time to get up,’’ Peter answered. “Mr. Law¬ 
rence wants you.’’ 

“O.K. Be ready in a jiffy.” 

So Peter wakened four people and none of them 
was startled. But it did not take them long to under¬ 
stand why Mr. Lawrence wanted them. Presently 
everyone was aroused. Shouts sounded from all 
sides of the circus grounds as the fire hose was at¬ 
tached and put to work. Some of the men carried 
buckets of water to help. 

“There, that’s the last," shouted Mr. Lawrence as 
he doused a blazing stick so quickly it sizzled. 

“Good thing the fire was discovered in time,” said 
one of the men. 



^ - - 



“It might have done a frightful lot of damage/' 
Mr. Lawrence answered. “Who discovered it?" 

'The clown's boy waked me/’ said the man. 

“Trouper waked me/’ Peter explained. 

“Well, we owe a great deal to that dog,’’ declared 
Mr. Lawrence. 

Everyone was too excited to go to bed, so they 
all stayed up. They were eating breakfast when a 
newspaper reporter came to get a story for his paper. 

“Wish you’d let me have a picture of that pup. 
Why, he’s a hero and deserves a medal,” said the 
reporter. 

“Of course you may have a picture,” agreed Mr. 
Webber, and went to get one. 

“He joined the show early this summer,” said Mrs. 
Webber. Then she told the reporter how the toy 
Pom had been discovered when the clown was on 
his way to perform for the crippled children at the 
hospital. 

So, that afternoon, Peter and the circus folk were 
reading the story in the newspaper, and Trouper 
certainly was a hero. His picture was on the very 
front page. 

The afternoon crowd was larger than ever. The 



clown and the spotted pony came on, followed by 
Queen Bess. They were greeted by loud applause. 
Queen Bess waved the small dog twice as long as 
usual before placing him on the back of the spotted 
pony. At last the act was over and the clown was 
driving out of the ring in his funny wagon. 

“Ki-Ki! Ki-Ki!” came a voice. 

The small dog wriggled at the sound. He wriggled 
so hard that he nearly tumbled down under the 
hoofs of a band of wild broncos. A tall man was 
hurrying as fast as he could toward the Webbers. 
Peter gulped, because he felt sure that it must be the 
man who owned his beloved Pom. 

[ 62 ] 





"Hello," said Peter, trying hard not to show how 
much he minded. 

"I read about the dog and came to see him," said 
the man quickly. "He's the one I lost.” 

"We advertised him and watched the newspaper," 
the clown explained, introducing himself. 

"My name is Adams,” said the man. "The dog 
belonged to my sister. I always have big dogs my¬ 
self. Perhaps that is why I was so careless with this 
little fellow. I didn't mean to neglect him, but I 
must admit that I was clear across the country before 
I missed him. I searched and advertised in the West. 
Never thought I had lost him in the East." 


[63 ] 



“Trouper’s a great dog. Guess you want him 
now/’ said Peter as he bravely handed Ki-Ki to his 
owner. 

“No. I really do not. You see, my sister went to 
Europe. Since she could not take Ki-Ki with her, 
she gave him to me. When I saw her off on the ship, 
I left him in the car. Where he got out, I do not 
know.’’ 

“We thought he might be a circus dog,’’ said. Peter. 

“My sister always said that if Ki-Ki did anything 
and people laughed, he'd do it again.’’ 

“That explains how easily he learned to perform 
in the circus, Mr. Adams,” said the clown. 

“My sister will not be back for many years, Mr. 
Webber, and if you care to keep Ki-Ki, you may 
have him,” said Mr. Adams. “I can see that he is 
very happy with you.” 

“Oh, thank you!” Peter hid his face in the little 
dog’s brown furry coat, to hide the glad tears that 
welled into his eyes. 

“Woof! Woof!” barked Ki-Ki joyously. 








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